Center For Therapeutic Massage & Athletics, Inc Promotes Wellness

By Nancy K. Crevier

Formerly located in Bethel since 1987, the Center for Therapeutic Massage & Athletics, Inc, owned by licensed massage therapist and certified acupuncturist Ron McKnight, relocated to 143 Mt Pleasant Road in Newtown, as of February 15. The move allows what was a one-person operation to grow, Mr McKnight said.

A large and bright waiting area in the new space provides a pleasant place for patients to relax prior to their appointments, and may offer a space for future yoga classes, he said. Two massage therapy rooms, two assessment rooms, a relaxation room, and a “brain gym” room now allow his business to expand, said Mr McKnight, who has worked in the past with the Ted Turner Goodwill Games, as well as for the US Wrestling team out of Pennsylvania, and with Olympic athletes.

“The idea for this office is to have enough therapists that we can go out and do on-site assessments,” as well as attend to patients in the office, Mr McKnight said. It is a commonly held idea, he said, that massage therapy can be used for prevention of injuries. To that end, Mr McKnight has developed programs for pediatric athletics, and a program geared toward senior citizens.

Mr McKnight believes that if team members are assessed three times throughout the season for arm, leg, and core muscle strength, not only will injuries be avoided in many instances, but coaches can use that information to determine where the team as a whole and where individual team members show weaknesses or strengths. Team conditioning can be based on that information, Mr McKnight said. “It would be a way for coaches and team members to find and address issues before they become real problems,” he said.

The Center for Therapeutic Massage & Athletics, Inc also utilizes a computer program for concussion testing in young athletes, he added.

Realizing that senior citizens often exhibit retention and memory issues, as well as physical strength issues, Mr McKnight has developed an assessment program for memory that is under the direction of sports training therapist Etty Geiz. “This program melds with a fitness program,” he said. The cognitive program consists of computerized programs to assess and improve memory and hand-eye coordination, as well as the “brain gym,” an interactive console to help focus concentration.

Quality of life can be improved for senior citizens through identification of muscular dysfunction, assistance in gait and balance, and through education as to muscular problems that afflict older people. Ankle and leg problems are particularly prevalent among the elderly, Mr McKnight said, and patients will be given strengthening exercises to do at home, or directed to an outside fitness facility that can best address the physical needs of the individual.

Each new patient is assessed in three areas to determine treatment, said Mr McKnight. “For members, we do a digital picture of the face, back, and backs of legs to look for skin disorders,” he said. That information is kept on file and serves as a baseline to identify any changes in the future.

Members will also undergo a muscle and joint assessment.

“We do a palpation assessment, looking for trigger points for any issues,” Mr McKnight said, “and we do a joints assessment. All assessments go together in determining structural issues and to determine treatment, or if the patient needs a referral for treatment that we do not provide.”

A patient’s treatment may include therapeutic massage, hydrotherapy, electrical stimulation, or time spent in the relaxation room, where two massage lounge chairs with individual oxygen generators refresh and soothe. The massage chairs reduce stress, and an increase in oxygen sharpens the memory, he explained.

Other patients may spend time with the brain gym or other cognitive exercises.

The Center for Therapeutic Massage & Athletics offers hourly consultations and treatments, or individual, family, or group membership plans. A special 20-minute massage is geared toward members of rescue units, EMTs, firefighters, police, and any other worker in a situation that demands sitting, standing, or being in a vehicle for extended periods throughout the day. “These people often don’t have time for a full massage, but can find relief with a 20-minute massage,” said Mr McKnight.

The mission of the center is “devoted to effectiveness in therapeutic treatment, new assessment and treatment methods, and products that will promote and advance the art of the preclinical assessment and prevention and treatment of repetitive stress injuries,” according to its website.

With a goal of making massage more affordable and accessible, and providing a service for injury prevention and to promote health and wellness, Mr McKnight said that he and his staff are looking forward to developing a relationship with area sports teams, emergency workers, senior citizens, and members of the Newtown community.

“As massage therapists,” he said, “we should be teaching senior citizens and sports teams what we can do for them.”

The Center for Therapeutic Massage & Athletics, Inc, 143 Mt Pleasant Road, is open Monday through Friday, 9 am to 8 pm, and Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm, by appointment. To schedule an appointment, call 203-778-8292 or visit www.preventionmedicine.com.